Microsoft Certifications Becoming A High School Requirement

IT knowledge is so essential for today’s workforce that state governments in some leading countries have started making it mandatory in schools.

The Nebraska state legislature of Canada, for instance has started funding programs like the Nebraska Microsoft IT Initiative to set up students for success through certification. Heree are the top 3 reasons, why it’s so essential to get certified:

1. You need tech skills no matter what

As technology permeates everyday life more and more, tech fluency transitions from a nice-to-have to an essential life skill. In that reality, the workforce’s need for tech professionals is gaping; it’s estimated that at least 500,000 to 1 million IT jobs go unfilled every year.¹ As Keely (a high school teacher hired specifically to bring Microsoft Office certification into the classroom in the Nebraska case study) says, “Students today have endless opportunities in the technology field. They have the opportunity to go wherever they want or to stay close to home and have a wonderful job. I emphasize to my students that technology can take them anywhere, and they are almost guaranteed a job out of college.”

2. Employers want employees to have credentials

As businesses seek to fill tech-savvy positions, certified applicants gain an advantage over the competition. “Ask any businessperson, and they would say that it’s one of the top skills a student coming out of high school should know,” Keely explains. “They need to know how to use Microsoft as an application.” The demands on businesses today require new hires to ramp up fast. Certified new hires, on average, have not only less onboarding time, but higher productivity rates and longer retention too.² In other words, they’re just better employees.

3. You gain the confidence to be successful

Certification gives people the ability and momentum they need to start overcoming bigger hurdles. Keely illustrates from her own classroom: “Once the students know what it feels like to accomplish earning their certification, it helps drive them to continue being successful.” Tech training enables people to enter the workforce confident and career ready, with or without a 4-year degree,” Keely says of her students. “Having the certification will set them up with the confidence that they can achieve anything.”

At LGIT Smart Solutions, our mission is to equip you with the skills that you need to use technology to your advantage in any business field you may be. Discover the training, certifications and courses we are offering in 2017, by visiting our website www.lgit.co.za